Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	civil_a	discipline_n	great_a	350	4	2.1332	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67901	A review of the Covenant, wherein the originall, grounds, means, matter, and ends of it are examined: and out of the principles of the remonstrances, declarations, votes, orders, and ordinances of the prime covenanteers, or the firmer grounds of Scripture, law, and reason, disproved.	Langbaine, Gerard, 1609-1658.	1645 (1645)	Wing L371; ESTC R210023	90,934	119

to the maintaining of an unnaturall Warre in the bowels of England The Covenanting Committees have committed more rapes upon the common Liberty in one yeare than all the Courts of Star-chamber and High Commission from their first Erection Iudges have been taken off the Bench by armed men and sent to Prison for refusing to do against their Oaths and conscience as Iudge Mallet Others have been so awed that they durst not do their duty and the better to hold a rod over them they have been impeached and committed for High Treason yet brought to sit upon the Bench again before any Triall or Sentence of Absolution as Iudge Bartlet Commands have been sent to prohibit their proceedings in severall particular cases Iustices and Iurors have been superseded from enquiring upon Routs and Tumults and the common Iustice of the Kingdome hath been obstructed by Ordinances prohibiting the holding of Assises notwithstanding the Generall Protestation for the free course of justice New Oaths are enforced upon the Subject without Law The usuall course of pricking Sheriffes not observed but mock-Sheriffes appointed by a new forged Broad Seale Master White and his assistants triumph in the Suspension Sequestration or Deprivation of many painfull learned and pious Ministers Many noble Personages and other Patriots are Parliament-men in name but the Power and Authority is wholly devolved upon a few whose resolutions and determinations if they be brought at all are onely brought into the House for countenance and execution not for debate and deliberation All military charges encreased and exercised Souldiers against their will daily pressed by Ordinance contrary to an Act made this Parliament Are we any whit the more secured in our persons or estates so long as the root of all these evils is not truly taken away but onely transplanted Which was acknowledged to be the Arbitrary Power formerly pretended to be in his Majesty but now usurped by the Covenanteers of taxing the Subiects without consent by Act of Parliament If the blow be the same it smarts as sore whatever hand inflict it To change our masters is not to be free If they truly confessed in the case of Hull it were in them an Act of high iniustice should they destroy mens properties when we see them daily do it must we call it therefore just They have urged against the King what holds strongest against themselves k If by Law they might charge the Subiect for defence of the Kingdome in time of danger they were ill advised that desired aide of the Subiect in such times and engaged themselves as we know they have done without a salvo jure for repayment Admitting it should be so that without this power of imposing Contributions it were impossible to defend the people it followes not that therefore they may impose such Contributions l If M. Pym's excuse be yet authentique the same Law that enables them to raise Force● for defence of the Kingdome enables them to impose Taxes for maintaining them otherwise that power were vaine and uselesse it will serve the King in good stead he it is who is entrusted with the power of defending the Kingdome he to whom the two Houses themselves sue for protection he to whom they confesse m All mens persons lands and monies are subiect for the publique good V. The last generall End of the Covenant is Peace it is true● the chiefe Covenanteers did once professe their detestation of a Civill Warre n If it might be avoided without alteration of Religion which they conceived to be the main End of their Enemies and such as would draw with it l●sse of Liberty and subversion of Law This now appeares to be their own main End for what else is intended by their Oath for Reformation of Doctrine and extirpation of the Government in our Church What was it that altered the Popish Religion into Protestantisme but Reformation And do not these aime at a greater alteration both in Doctrine Discipline Government and Worship than ever the Papists went about If they had been cordially affected to Peace we had never been driven to these sad extremities of war They might have had it before the Sword was drawn or a blow struck no new Religion was pressed upon them no Law denied which might conduce to the publique safety Since the warre begun severall Treaties for accommodation have been proffered to them the most rejected others made fruitles by them But if war be the onely meanes to procure Peace if weakening and impoverishing the Kingdome be the way to preserve it what hopes have we but in desperation May they not yet have Peace if they will embrace it with the same Religion the same old Lawes A gracious pardon is freely offered to all that will accept it The happinesse of a blessed peace concluded between the two Nations what hinders the continuance of it Extirpation of Church Government was no condition of that Pacification Certainly then these destructive wayes of the Covenanteers do not lead immediately to it but are they likely to end in Peace Yes when they have extirpated all opposers Vbi solitudinem fecerint pacem appellant Yet I doubt of that too The chance of Warre is uncertain they could not bring their ends about when they had more strength and lesse opposition which if they shall ever do they must know that Lawes made by the Sword are but short-lived they will be unmade so too Doe they hope so throughly to root up the Royall Vine and spoile the Branches that there will not be left {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} so much as to powre upon the Goates hornes There will never be wanting a Title to the Crown and justice or compassion or faction at home will finde and interest abroad will lend a sword to defend it Besides it will aske some time to extirpate Popery Prelacy Delinquents Malignants c. who being all declared Traitours and by this Covenant devoted to destruction sure they will sell their lives as deare as they can they can expect no worse by fighting than they must undergo by submitting it is more honourable to die by the sword than by the halter Moriendum victis moriendum deditis id solum refert novissimum spiritum per ludibrium contumelias effundant an per virtutem But say the Covenanteers should at last be masters of their most improbous desires the Kingdome by that time will be so exhausted of men and money and other necessaries by a long Warre and the consequents of it Plague Famine and Decay of Trade that it will be exposed for a prey to any stranger that shall thinke it worth invading who cannot want as faire a colour as the Scots either to interpose as Mediators to propagate their Religion to protect or rescue or revenge their injured friends Or if all other States should be asleep while our house is on fire what security can we have from our deare Brethren of Scotland who● though it

Solomon and Hiram do abundantly prove that Leagues betwixt men of divers Religions is not against the word of God and therefore a League betwixt people of the same Religion for extirpation of such as are not of the same is no way required by it So then this Covenant as to that point is Supra Statutum and therefore Superstition 4. But if this sinne consist rather in using such Acts matter signes or circumstances in divine Worship as are in their owne nature no way apt to expresse that honour which we acknowledge to be due unto God nor reducible to that end for which we intend them surely then there may be Superstition in the inward as well as in the outward Act of Worship and in particular q indiscreet zeale will appeare to be a peece of Superstition for though zeale be of its owne nature apt to be referred to Gods Worship yet thus qualified it is not and then I am confident as Diogenes trode upon the pride of Plato so many of our zealous Covenanteers here vow to extirpate superstition with greater superstition IV. The clearing of that clause which concernes Extirpation of Heresie depends upon the resolution of many questions which we cannot here determine upon this mainely who shall be the So●eraigne Iudge of Controversies to define what Doctrines are Hereticall and what not whether must every man for himselfe fit upon other mens faith and proscribe all that for Heresie which crosseth his owne fancy The Church of Scotland allowes no other Iudge in this point but Scripture which will scarce come home to the point for who shall give the sence of Scripture The Lord r Brook has answered the question aright What is true Doctrine the Scripture or rather the spirit must Iudge but what a Church will take for true Doctrine lyes onely in that Church And amongst the Covenanteers who shall Iudge as the Church In Scotland it is agreed the generall Assembly in England I know not who perhaps a select Committee of some Lay-Covenanteers Such as shall be appointed to convent Ministers for preaching false Doctrine and will not stick to censure him for Heresie and Blasphemy who shall call the Virgine Mary the Mother of God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I must once more borrow the words of that Honourable s Author I last mentioned so long as the Church in her tenets intermedles not with State matters under the notion of Religion I suppose the Civill Power is not to interpose If the question be what is Idolatry what superstition what Heresie what the punishment of those crimes who shall Iudge but the Church Whiles Parliaments labour for the Church dealing no further in the affaires of the Church then by Scripture they may certainly they doe well but if they once exceed their bounds the issue will be CONFUSION instead of REFORMATION Yet in regard our Lawes if they should be put ordinarily in execution are somewhat severe in the punishment of Heretiques it was not amisse in the t Parliament to restraine the Power of Ecclesiasticall Commissioners in judging of Heresie to what had been formerly determined by Scripture or by the foure first generall Councells onely when they added Or such as shall hereafter be ordered judged or determined to be Heresie by the high● Court of Parliament in this Realme with the assent of the Clergy in their Convocation The matter had not been much different if the words had been a little inverted if they had left the judgement to the Clergy who without disparagement may be thought more compe●ent for such matters and reserved the power of approving and confirming to themselves But the Law being as it is we willingly subscribe to it and when the Parliament shall determine with the Convocations assent any matter or cause to be Heresie we shall better know how to conform either our judgement to their determinations or our patience and obedience to their censures In the meane time we must entreat our Brethren of the Clergy convened at Westminster to be perswaded that though the Lords and Commons in the Court were indeed the Parliament yet they in the Chappell are none of the Convocation And so what Heresie is or what to be taken for such by any authoritative definition in this Kingdome we are not like to heare in haist But if Tertullians Prescriptions or that golden Rule of Vincentius Lirinensis Quod ab omnibus quod ubique quod semper c. be of any use for the triall of Heretiques then we can tell whose Disciples the Covenanteers are that sweare to extirpate Episcopall Government if Aërius for affirming that a Bishop is not above a Presbyter was generally reputed by the Christian world for more then thirteen hundred yeares together as well in the Easterne as Westerne Church for a downeright Heretique we can charge those men with no lesse then a Contradiction who with the same breath vow the extirpation of Prelacy and Heresie V. The case is much alike concerning Schisme Which is so neare allyed to Heresie that u S. Paul if he doe not confound them makes that the necessary forerunner of this But allowing the word for current in the common acception without any scrupulous enquiry into the nature of it we must inferre 1. That this vow of the Covenanteers to extirpate Schisme is contradictory to that vow of mutuall assistance which they make in the sixt Article for being knownely divided in their opinions concerning Church Government they must be one to another mutually Schismatiques 2. The meere taking of this Covenant being in the principall part of it an utter condemnation of the Church of England and a sworne Separation from it as Prelaticall that is in their sense Antichristian can be no other then a most formall vowed Schisme in respect of all those Covenanteers who formerly held Communion with this Church which being a true Church wherein Salvation might be had suppose the worst which I doe not grant that there were some errors in her Doctrine or some unlawfulnesse in her practice yet so long as they are neither required to professe those errors nor to approve those practices as if we consider His Majesties frequent proffers of passing fitting provisions for the ease of ●ender consciences clearly they are not any separation from this their Mother Church is utterly causlesse and unlesse by vertue of some Legislative power a new sense be imposed upon the word this is the greatest Schisme that ever was in any Church since the foundation of Religion If they had not broken it already they might easily observe this part of their Oath for the future for having by this Covenant left amongst themselves no visible Church it quickly followes no Schisme Were it not so I should wonder how it comes to passe that after such a solemne Oath for extirpation of Schisme and that not by publique Order but where every one must goe before another in the example so few should

be found all this long time worthy to be extirpate out of that great City where so many are knowne to be Where all such as have been accounted Schismatiques from our Church of England either had their birth or have their breeding Anabaptists Brownists of all sizes Separatists● Semi-Separatists Leamarists Barowists Iohnsonians Ainsworthians Robinsonians Wilkinsonians the severall Congregations of Busher Smith Helwise Hancock Nevill Pedder each of which as I am informed had their distinct formes of Separation the Antinomians Eatonians Gringletonians and Familists the Cottonians and Anti-Cottonians and whatsoever spreading grafts have been transplanted from those fruitfull seed-plots of Schisme the Colonies of New Englaud or Amsterdam All these were knowne by head even when the Government of the Church was in the hands of the King and Bishops and sure their number is nought abated since it was seized by the Covenanteers many whereof have small reason to sweare the extirpation of Schisme unlesse it be out of their owne hearts Which is so foule a sinne that some of themselves have confessed Ieroboam the son of Nebat for this onely cause not for Idolatry to be so often mentioned with that odious Elogy Who made Israel to sinne And considering the generall defection now made from the Church of England and the shallow grounds of this Separation I take leave to mind those men who have had the greatest stroke in these divisions of what * Irenaus writ so many hundred years agoe The Lord will judge also those that make Schismes who valuing more their owne profit then the Churches unity doe rent and divide and to their power murther the great and glorious body of Christ upon small and any occasions speaking Peace and making Warre truly straining at a gnat and swallowing a Camell For they can make ●o such Reformation as will be able to countervaile the harme of Schisme VI The imposing this Oath by their owne Authority is a great violation of the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament which they sweare to preserve If we should allow the Leaders to be what they desire to passe for the two Houses of Parliament yet is it denyed that the one House hath any power to give an ordinary legall Oath or that both Houses can lay any civill much lesse Religious obligation by a new Oath upon the whole Kingdome without His Majesties Assent by x Act of Parliament Let but any Law be produced that it may be done or any precedent shewed that ever it was done by any free Parliament and we shall be ready to recant this position In the meane time I crave leave to intimate in some few particulars how the Covenanteers have violated not onely the ancient and just Rights of Parliament but those very Priviledges of the last Edition which were never heard of before this Session 1. In relation to the King who is the Head of that great Body the denying His Negative in making of Lawes the signifying His Authority contrary to his Will the doing many things without Him which how necessary soever he does not challenge any Prerogative to doe without them are sufficient instances of their injust usurpations 2. In relation to the House of Peeres whether were not their Priviledges invaded when some of the Temporall Lords were committed by Mr Pennington the then Lord Major of London and a Member of the Lower House when others of the Spiritualtie twelve Bishops at a clap were impeached and committed for a crime they were no way guilty of That never forgotten breach of Priviledge His Majesties impeachment of the five Members was thus aggravated y If such an accusation might be allowed then it would be in the power not onely of His Majesty but of any private man under pretensions of Treason to take away any man from his service in the Parliament and so as many one after another as he pleaseth and consequently to make ● Parliament what he will when he will which would be a Breach of so essentiall a Priviledge of Parliament that the very being thereof depends upon it How much His Majesty did then abhorre the thoughts of any such consequence depends in part upon the now visible and then iust grounds of that accusation But whether in that more generall and more causlesse impeachment of those twelve Members of the House of Peeres the Projectors did not over-act all the sad consequences of the former Discourse and transgresse that essentiall Priviledge upon which the very being of Parliament was said to depend I doe not determine Onely this is evident the now Covenanting Commons ever since that time were able to make their House of Lords doe or say what they would when they would Witnesse their severall Counter-mands and crosse Declarations The Lords declare the Lawes should be observed and the Common-Prayer Book used these Commons declare both shall be suspended The Lord● declare Tumults shall be suppressed and the Authors punished these Commons declare there are no Tumults and command those persons shall be released who were apprehended as the Authors The Lords thought the new Ordinance for the Militia unnecessary and refuse to Petition for it these Commons declare it is necessary and z complaine of the Lords for their refusall What would you more In some cases these men Order a that the House of Peeres agree with the House of Commons 3. In relation to particular Members It is somewhere confessed by the Commons that b they cannot give away the Priviledge of their Members without their consent Sure the many affronts● indignities injuries which severall Members of that honourable House have sustained in their Persons in their Estates in their Protections in their other Priviledges and Liberties were never done by their owne consent 4. In relation to the constitution of Parliaments is not the freedome of the place and safety of the persons so absolutely necessary that c no Parliament can be without it yet have not both been disturbed and endangered by tumultuous Citizens Have not some been expelled others committed for being so honest as to Vote according to their conscience but not so fortunate as to jumpe with the supposed Sense of the House Were not their names posted up and their lodgings notefied who were unwilling to have a hand in the first Act of this Nationall Tragedy I● the publique demanding a List of such Lords names as dissented in their Votes from the carrying party in the Lower House if confining the whole Authority of both Houses to the pleasure of a few persons under the name of a Committee for the safety of the Kingdome into whose secret● the rest may not presume to enquire if the admitting of Commissioners from another Kingdome without whose concurrent advice nothing must be agitated in this be not as totally repugnant to the nature of a free Parliament as confessedly repugnant to all Precedents of former times if all these things have been done and yet no Priviledge broken then {non-Roman}

Religion against the Civill Lawes and will of their Prince whosoever has a minde to rebell may do it upon the same pretence and ought not to be questioned by any humane Authority for though they do but pretend Religion yet is it impossible for any Iudge to convince them of such pretence not can any thing be urged in defence of the true Religion which may not be made use of by a false II. The extirpation of that ancient Government by Bishops which has obtained in England ever since the first plantation of Christianity in this Nation to which we principally owe the Reformation of that Religion we now professe of which none have been more zealous more able propugners than our English Bishops who by their constant preaching of it their learned Writings for it their pious living in it and patient dying for it have sealed unto us that pretious Fai●h through which we hope by the mercy of God for the salvation of our soules who have b●en the Founders or most eminent Benefactours of most Churches Colledges Schooles Hospitalls and other publique Monuments of piety and devotion which have rendered this Nation so famous abroad and so magnificent at home Of whose Government all the Clergy of this Land have testified their solemne approbation at their entrance into holy Orders and to whom all beneficed Ministers have sworne obedience at their institution and therefore it was b M. Bagshawes Argument if ever they assent to the alteration of this Government they are really periured Which H●s Majesty and all His Royall Predecessors at their Coronation have by a more particular and solemne Oath vowed to protect which God himselfe by extraordinary blessings from Heaven as King c Iames of blessed Memory did acknowledge has approved and ratified Which by the Catholique consent of the Churches of Christendome both in Asia Africk Greece Russia and other parts of Europe that never acknowledged any subjection to or dependence on the See of Rome hath been constantly embraced and the oppugners of it universally branded for Heretiques which in most of those few Churches that want it by their best and ablest Members hath been frequently desired which of all other formes has undoubtedly the best title to Divine or Apostolicall Institution Against which nothing is or ever could be justly objected but the humane infirmities and personall failings of some particular men from which no Government is or can be totally exempt If it be not unlawfull to sweare the Extirpation of this Government so deeply rooted by the fundamentall Lawes of this Kingdome both Common and Statute as Monarchy it selfe or the new-named Soveraigne Power of Parliaments cannot pretend to be built upon a surer foundation let it be piously and prudently considered whether the same Engines by which the Covenanteers would subvert the Government of the Church will not be of equall ●trength and fitnesse to pull up the Government of the State Suppose neither King nor Bishop were of divine Right certainly Parliaments are not Suppose both Kings and Bishops faile in the performance of their trust is there no expedient but the Government must be abolished Sure it is not impossible for Parliaments to be guilty of a like defailer must they be exposed to the like justice No Bishop no King is granted to be an old received truth by d one who was none of the best friends to either Government When I consult with history and experience and behold the example of some Neighbour Nations I say no more but Vestigia terrent A strict account must one day be given for every drop of Christian blood that has been shed in the common Cock-pit of Europe these fourescore yeares last past III. If it were as certainly true as it is prodigiously false that Episcopacy were an Antichristian invention and therefore fit to be abolished yet it would concerne our Reformers to provide us of another Government before they take this away If Christ did indeed prescribe one set Forme to be perpetually and universally observed in his Church and Episcopacy be not that one as we contend it is let our adversaries first agree amongst themselves what it is and we shall then know how to proportion our conformity to the authority and reasons of those that enjoyne it Or if it were left at large in the power of the Church Catholique or particular to ordaine what Forme she shall think most convenient we still demand who that Church is and what that Forme must be here in England In the meane time this is certaine in it selfe and generally acknowledged on all hands an absurdity so grosse as cannot fall into the imagination of any Christian that Christ should at any time be thought to have a Church without any Government or that it should be in the power of any man I doe not except a Parliament to extirpate the present and so leave the Church voyd of all Government I e read indeed of a Law amongst the Persians that after the death of the King there should be a five dayes Cessation of all Law and Government {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that the People by that want might learne to know what a great blessing it is to enjoy the Ki●g and the Law As the end was good so in a civill State the thing was not injust But in a Church the case is quite otherwise The time was when the House of Commons took it for an imputation cast upon them by Malignants against whom they remonstrate to the Kingdome in these words f They inf●se into the People that we meane to abolish all Church-Government and leave every man to his owne fancy for the service and worship of God absolving him of that obedience which he owes under God unto his Majesty whom we know to be intrusted with the Ecclesiasticall Law as well as with the Temporall to regulate all the Members of the Church of England by such rules of Order and Discipline as are established by Parliament Were that House now turned Covenanteers I should say those Malignants if they were bad Counsellours were good Prophets Is not all that a present Truth which is here laid down as a false aspersion When the Government by Arch-bishops Bishops Chancellours Commissaries Deanes Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers is according to the tenour of this Covenant utterly extirpate if all Church Government be not taken away let them shew us what remaines if every man be not left to his own fancy for the service of God let them say what other rule the Covenanteers have to walke by while they are in expectation of a new Directory If the rules of Order and Discipline by which the Bishops did governe under the King be established by Parliament and no other so much as pretended so to be if his Majesty require obedience to these Rules according to those Lawes with the execution whereof next under God he is intrusted when the Covenanteers not onely refuse

must renounce his corrupt calling by the Bishop and enter by the true calling taught by Christ And let this be shewed by any Minister of any parish of Engl●nd if you can If not then are they still not truly called so no true Ministers of Christ in regard of their calling I have laid down this testimony more at large that I might spare the producing of any more to the same purpose out of the Writings of Barrow Cookie Can and other Separatists with whom nothing is more frequent than to condemne our Ministery for Antichristian and to make it no lesse than Idolatry to serve Go● in and by such a devised Ministery How many Disciples these men have in London and how Orthodox this Doctrine is amongst the Covenanteers we may guesse in part if we call to minde Master Burton or who else was the Authour of the n Protestation protested He put the question to our English Clergy●What if the calling of the Ministery it selfe should prove a piece of popery And referred it to their consideration Whether they were able to prove themselves the Ministers of Christ lawfully called when all of them do immediately derive their Ministery from the Antichristian Hierarchy or Papall Prelacy as the sole foundation thereof This Doctrine found so much countenance even in those dayes that neith●r the book was thoutght fit to be censured nor the Author to be questioned though his Majesty complained of it more then once And whether the Independents to whom the Spirit of expounding is most familiar will not hereafter when time serves expound those words of their new Covenant All Ecclesiasticall Officers depending upon the Hierarchy according to their old wont of all the Ministers ordained by the Lords Bishops and what will be the consequents of such an exposition which I forbeare to presse let the whole Clergy of England and the rest of the Kingdome consider and beware V. To sweare or endeavour such an Extirpation of Bishops Deanes and Chapters as is aymed at by the Covenanteers is not onely unlawfull by the positive Law of this Kingdome but as in the highest degree Sacrilegious utterly against the Law of God To prove which I shall premise these undoubted grounds of truth First that it is y lawfull for any man to doe with his owne what he please so he doe not misemploy it to a bad end Secondly that by the Law of God any man may dispose of his meanes as well if not better for a pious use as the encouragement of Learning for maintenance of Religion to a Body Spirituall in succession as to his Heires or Executors or any secular Corporation Thirdly that by our Lawes the present Beneficiaries Bishops Deanes and Chapters c. have as true a propriety in their Church-means as any other person hath in his lay-Fee Fourthly that what is on●e devoted to a Sacred use cannot without S●criledge be converted to a prophane To which purpose I sh●ll not insist upon any testimony of Scripture as haveing been sufficiently done by p others but onely quote what will be in some mens esteem of more Force the de●ermination of an English Parliament 25. Edw. 1. Which declar●s that lay men they speak of them●elves as a Parliament have no authority to dispose of the goods of the Church But as the holy Scripture doth testifie they are committed onely to the Priests to be disposed off From hence I shall inferre First that ex plenitudine potestatis for a Parliament to deprive any one Bishop Deane or Prebend of his present maintenance whereof he is Legally possest unlesse it be by way of punishment for some personall delinquency is as high injustice as to diss●ile any other man of his free-hold without cause Secondly that though Bishops Deanes and Chapters c. saving the Right of propriety to the present Beneficiaries quo jure quâve injuriâ● should be abolished for the future yet to convert their meanes from a Religious to a secular use contrary to the known intentions and will of the Founders cannot be excused from downe-right Sacriledge and would be the ready way to bring upon us and our posterity all those fearful execrations with which those lands were at first devoted to God and the Church and we should drink up the dregs of that bitter cup of Gods wrath and displeasure of which it is to be feared our forefathers supped too deep The Lords and Commons at Westminster in their q Ordinance for humiliation confesse the Idolatry and bloud-shed in Queene Maries daies to have a more immediate influence upon the destruction of this Kingdome For which to this very day was never ordained such a solemne publique and Nationall acknowledgement of those sinnes as might appease the wrath of that jealous God against whom and against whose people with so high a hand they were committed I doe from my heart subscribe to this Confession But may I not adde from St Paul r Thou that abhorrest Idols Committest thou Sacriledge May we not feare that the Sacriledge of King Henries dayes cryes as loud for vengeance in the eares of the Almighty as the Idolatry of Queen Mary this may seem a transient sinne which dyed with her person but that is still intailed upon our Posterity And we have never had any Solemne Nationall acknowledgement of it or publique humiliation for it The poore Kirk of Scotland may in this be a patterne worthy our imitation s which enjoyned a generall fast throughout the Realm for appeasing of Gods wrath upon the land for the crying sin of Sacriledge It is not very many yeares agoe since a Learned t States-man of our owne observed the Lands of the Church did passe in valuation between man and man at a lower rate then other temporalties and he thought all the Parliaments since the 27 and 31. of Henry 8. to stand obnoxious and obliged to God in conscience to doe somewhat for the Church to reduce the Patrimony thereof since they debarred Christs wife of a great part of her Dowry it were reason they made her a competent Ioynture But we have lived to see them of another minde I pray God they doe not bring upon this Land the sad effect of that u ancient Prophecy an utter desolation by a forraigne ignoble Nation for our treason and contempt of Gods House That which * some of latter times did expect to see fullfilled upon us when they observed our sinnes like the iniquities of the Amorites almost full and ripe for judgement and told us the time was not far off I doe seriously perswade my selfe that not a few of our Covenanteers if the truth were knowne doe stomach more at the meanes then at the Government of our Church It is neither the calling nor the persons of Bishops or Deanes but the Bishoprickes and Deanaries that are A●●ichristian and Malignant and so they were fairely possessed of these they care not whether those sink or swim If the

to the Bishops and Clergy being not a publique but a particular one he cannot salvo juramento without their consent give way to the making of any new Law in derogation of their Liberties which he has sworne to defend The subject of the legislative power in any State though by reason of the Supreme jus dominii over the persons and goods of all the Subjects he be above Law yet will not that make him above his own Oaths and promises to particular persons For a Law gives a right against the Law-givers onely so long as it is a Law that is no longer than till it please them to repeale it But a promise or Oath made to another gives a right against him that made it as long as the Creditour pleaseth Were it not thus the publique Faith passed by the King and Parliament were of lesse value than any private mans bond they might void it when they please all promise of pardons granted to Rebells or other Delinquents might be rescinded and no security could be had by them The reason I conceive to be this the King here and whosoever in other places is the subject of Supreme Power though they be originally free from any engagement to inferiour Subjects yet if they will they may in some things bring a restraint upon their absolute Supremacy Vnusquisque potest cedere jure suo as well for the advantage of particular persons of their own Dominions as to Princes or People of another Nation Which if they do their own act shall binde them in justice if it were but a ba●e promise but in Religion and Conscience if it be confirmed by an Oath deliberately taken and the matter it selfe be not unlawfull For this superaddes a religious band unto God from which they can neither free themselves nor any other absolve them unlesse those in behalfe of whom it was taken do release their interest If this were not so no Oath could be binding unto them I wil not deny but sometimes there may be just occasion for a King or State to make use of their Supreme Power to the present prejudice of particular persons as in case of Invasion to destroy a private mans goods that they may not come into the enemies hands but then I suppose they are bound in conscience and equity to make him reparation out of the Common-wealth for his private losses deducting so much as he for his part should be liable to bear in the publique charges Which if they shall refuse to do and will use their summum ius to another mans injury there is no remedy in foro humano but they must answer for their injustice at a higher Tribunal Here is now the case of our English Clergy the Bishops Deanes and Chapters c. have not onely a present personall estate in their Baronies and other Temporalties as good in Law as any freeholder in the Land but the Body of the Clergy have a perpetuall Right in succession both which his Majesty hath by many reiterated d Protestations vowed to maintain and by the solemne e Oath at his Coronation which has been so often pressed to other purposes sworne to keep the Lawes Customes and Franchises granted to the Clergy to preserve and maintain to the Bishops and Churches committed to their charge all Canonicall Priviledges and due Law and Iustice and to be their Protectour and Defender to his power as every good King in his Kingdome in right ought to protect and defend the Bishops and Churches under their Government After the solemne emission of all which Oaths and Protestations as it were a great sin if his Majesty upon temporall ends or by-respects without any offence of the Clergy should put their persons out of his protection much more if he should cancell all their ancient Rights and alienate their meanes the thought whereof his righteous soul● abhorres So they cannot be excused from the guilt of perjury who either by sly insinuations shall go about to incline or by armed force labour to compell him to the breach of his Oath The former may be the practice of evill Counsellours the latter is the Designe of these Covenanteers I will not define which are more inexcusable their ends may be the same the maine difference is in the meanes and this it is these would extort injustice from their Soveraigne those would perswade him to it and so by making him lesse unwilling would make him more guilty if the God of Heaven in whose hands are the hearts of Kings do not as hitherto he has done strengthen him with sufficient grace against the subtilty of the one as with power against the violence of the other VII If all the particulars in the second Article were indeed criminall yet they ought not to receive equall punishment much lesse ought all persons without respect whether truly or supposedly guilty of them be as is here vowed in like manner extirpate Nature hath made a difference in crimes Religion and Law admits of a distinction betwixt persons but this Oath confounds all Divines were wont to distinguish of Papists betwixt Seducers and Seduced Heretiques and their adherents those the Lawes have sentenced to death but allotted to these a milder animadversion as of whom it may be true which Salvian spoke of some Arians affectu piae opinionis errant But from these rigid Covenanteers a seduced Lady must expect no more mercy than a professed Iesuite Nay the King himselfe if he be but prelatically affected must look for no better measure By their own confession his Person is in danger If we look backe upon what passed betwixt his Majesty and the two Houses upon that occasion we shall finde them thus reasoning against his going into Ireland f If your Maiesty shall go you will very much endanger the safety of your Royall Person Which will be subiect not onely to the casualty of warre but to secret practices and conspiracies especially your Maiesty continuing your Profession to maintain the Protestant Religion which the Papists are generally bound by their Covenant to extirpate Now then his Majesty continuing his profession to maintain Episcopacy which these men are generally bound by their Covenant to extirpate shall not his Sacred Person by the same consequence be subject to the like practices from them who have added this clause more than the Papists had in their Covenant to extirpate all without respect of persons The consequent hereof is a thing in it selfe so horrid and injust that the sober Writers against Monarchy have not been ashamed to professe that be the crimes of Kings never so profane yet their persons ought to be sacred not to be violate not to be touched And some of the most active well-willers to the Cause have granted thus much truth to us that difference in Religion makes no difference in the Right of Kings The Lord g Brook professeth he is not of their judgement who say None that are without the pale of the Church